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How Did The Black Death Affect Society

Decent Essays

The Black Death was a horrible disease that struck Europe in the mid 14th century. Originated in Asia, trade routes, like the Silk Road, allowed the spread of the plague to Europe. Bringing chaos and disruption to Europe, the Black Death, also known as the bubonic plague, changed the ways of the politics, economy, and society. Examples of political, economical, and social effects, is the war between England and France (Hundred Years’ War), the economy changing as peasants get higher wages, and the way people view life. The Black Death changed the way of life for the Europeans; politically, economically, and socially. Politics took a toll during the Black Death. First of all, the Black Death claimed the lives of many politicians which resulted in instability in the government. Thus, the unstable government with no strategy to stop the fast-spreading plague, allowed many governments to crumble. During this time period, another catastrophe was happening, the Hundred Years’ War. What this meant was that the war …show more content…

A part of the business, finance, was disrupted as the debtors who were loaning money died, the creditor found themselves without recourse and no money to collect from. The fall of the financial business affected the economy greatly. A change in agricultural also affected the economy. After the plague, there was a demand for agricultural workers. Most workers were able to command higher wages and many were no longer bound to the land. As a result, the aftermath of the plague improved the lives of many peasants. Another change in the economy is that the structure of land based shifted. Portable wealth, like money and skills, emerged. Thus, manors and large estates began to collapse, and towns and cities began to grow. Furthermore, people also left rural areas and moved to cities for higher wages. The Black Death played a positive effect on the economy that made life better for the survivors of the

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